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Krykostas hat-trick dooms Vipers in battle with West Kelowna

The Warriors scored four in the opening period to defeat Vernon, 7-3
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The West Kelowna Warriors beat the Vernon Vipers at Royal Lepage Place on Sunday, Dec. 10, winning 7-3. (Lisa Mazurek/Vernon Vipers photography)

In a battle between Highway 97 rivals, it was the West Kelowna Warriors who would come out on top, defeating the Vernon Vipers, 6-3 in BCHL action on Sunday (Dec. 10) afternoon.

Vernon was punched in the face early, as the host Warriors scored four in the first, from Jack Pridham, Isaiah Norlin, Michael Salandra and Jackson Kyrkostas.

The Vipers would strike back in the second, with Erik Pastro and Adam Csabi markers.

In the final frame, Felix CaronÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s 16th of the year would restore the three goal cushion for West Kelowna. Nick Mikan grabbed his fifth on the Vipers power play less than two minutes later before two straight goals from Kyrkostas would ice the game, 7-3 for the Warriors.

KyrkostasÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™ hat-trick was his second as a Warrior, while Rorke ApplebeeÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s 22 saves pushed his record to 12-4 on the season. Norwegian Johannes Løkkeberg added three helpers in the game.

Backup Vipers goalie Colin Reay stopped 29 of 36 for his first loss of the year.

A three-point cushion now separates West Kelowna (36) and Vernon (33) in the BCHLÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s Interior Conference standings. The Warriors are 17-6-2, six points back of the vaunted Penticton Vees for first in the conference. The Vipers, at 16-8-1, fell to fourth place, in a tie with Salmon Arm.

Next up, those Silverbacks will be in Vernon to battle the Vipers on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

West Kelowna will face off against the same Silverbacks on Wednesday night, from Salmon Arm.

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Bowen Assman

About the Author: Bowen Assman

I joined The Morning Star team in January 2023 as a reporter. Before that, I spent 10 months covering sports in Kelowna.
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